Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-10-15
STOVES AND FURNACES.
Hints and Suggestions on Their Daily Care
and KeenInr,

Hints and Suggestions on Their Daily Care
and Keeping.
why is it that l burn out so many
sets of stove lining?' some n asks.
Let me tell YOU. Use a little more care
than YOU have been using, watch and
see that a clinker is not allowed 10
form on the Innings, and if one does
form. remove it carefully with the
poker. At night, the tire-box should
be even full of coal after raking out all
the dead cinderS and ashes in the
range; never fill your stove with coal
above the top of the Innings. Never
use a shaker when it is poSsible to avoid
it: instead, use the poker freely and
| YOU will have a better fire and use less
coal. Shaking the fire banks it down
| into n solid mass and the air can not
circulate through. When the fire from
! any cause becomes dull, do not stir it
over the top or put in wood, but rake
out the cinders and open the drafts.
At night do not close the drafts as soon
rs the coal for the night is put on, but
let it burn for IA short time, or as one
man expresses it, 'until you think the
coal is warm all through There is
then very little danger of gas, even if
the stove is a poor one. The ashes
should never accumulate in the ash
pan until they reach the CRATE. If this
happens even once, the CRATE will usu-
ally be burned out. Always run
the range so that YOU a get
all the heat needed without having
the top red hot, as this will warp the
covers and centers, and if n little
water should happen to fall on the
stove while so hot the top of the range
is very apt to crack, Keep the stove
well BACKED; if the lids get covered
with grease turn them over and let the
top of the lid come next the fire until
the grease is all burned off. If the
covers are red and the backing does
not adhere, let them get wet so that
they will rust a little and then black
them.
Some stoves require more draft and
a stronger chimney than Others. On
days when the wind is in a certain di-
r~ection the drafts usually left open.
! will have to be closed. Have the smoke
pipes Of the furnace and range taken
down and cleaned out, and at the same
time clean the inside of the chimney as
far as possible. When soft coal is used
this must be done very often. An ordi-
nary chimney and range will need to
be cleaned about every two months;
the furnace just before commencing to
use in the fall, and once or twice dur
ing the winter. Let the coal in the
range or furnace burn long enough to
| get all the heat there is in it before re-
filling, not until almost burned out. but
until if left longer the fire would COM
mence to cool. A good h~ousekeeper
will know by the appearance when tits
time to fill. Never use oil of any kind
to kindlc a fire, as it is not safe.
When buying y range buy one that is
moderately heavy and made of the
best quality of iron. All the joints of 4
heating stove or range should fit well;
because if they do not, when the range
has been used a short time you will
notice gas escaping and will not be
able to tell where it one from,
The nickel on a. heating stove can
be kept bright by wiping often with a
dry, clean cloth. In the spring when
the stove is taken down for the sum-
mcr, rub the nickel well with a dry,
soft cloth and then wrap in newspaper;
be careful not to let the hand touch the
nickel after it is rubbed, as in the fall
every place that has been touched will
show II rusty spot. If it has not been
touched, it will be found to be as bright
as when put away. To clean zinc IN
der a heating stove, never wet it if it
can be avoided. When new, rub often
with a dry, clean cloth and when more
is necessary use tepid water and no
soap.
In buying furnaces there are several
things to be avoided-one is, IA furnace
that will allow the gas to escape. A
furnace to be properly set should have
all the joints well packed with n cc-
ment that will not burn out. Some
cement used in packing furnaces will
turn to dust the first time 4 fire is built
and will no longer keep the gas from
escaping. The best cement to be used
is made of Il mineral that hardens UNI
der the action of heat; such n cement
will become so hard that it will take a
chisel to remove it. The best furnace to
buy is a return flue furnace or in
other words one that carries the
smoke down to the base be-
fore it is carried out of the
chimney. This makes the furnace
burn less coal for the amount of heat
obtained than those in which the
smoke is carried directly to the chin
ney. Buy an all cast iron furnace, ii
lasts SO much longer and requires SC
much less repairing; and be sure the
furnace has a water pan. Always fill
the water pan with strictly fresh and
pure water. The amount of water in
the pan can he regulated by the
amount of moisture you like in the
house. If this is properly attended to,
the objection a great many make to q
furnace, namely, that the air is toe
dry, is removed. Furnaces are very
easy to manage and are so much nicer
than stoves that the wonder is tina
more people do not use them. If pos
sible have the furnace set so rs to take
the cold air from outside; have tn,
cold air box large enough to give at al
times plenty of fresh air. There il
never too much fresh air until the ali
comes cold through the registers ant
then the supply should be decreased
1t does not take any more coal to run
the furnace with pure air from the out
} side than with foul air from the inside
Be sure all the pipes between the floor
and walls are made double. Witt
: proper care Il furnace can always b.
} made safe, hcalthful and pleasant